The call for help
by Ameliana-Darkheart
Summary: Ahh, I suck at summaries. A young girl named Madison Louise Corvis is a vampire slayer, and lives her life alone... CHAPTER FOUR UP!
1. Meet Madison

**Disclaimer: **I do not own, or am associated or affiliated in any way with any of the characters or settings from Van Helsing, or Buffy the Vampire Slayer (grrr, damn). Any characters or places you do not recognize are of my own genious creation (ha!). Should you choose to steal any of my creations for your future stories, then I'll kill you. I won't sue, I'll just kill you...

Okay, enjoy the story! (nervous giggles). Please r&r (if you do then I'll write more, and maybe send you a gift basket). I welcome constructive criticism, but please, no flames! You will notice that my make-believe town sounds rather stupid, but you have to forgive me as I know nothing about any place in America at all (I'm British you see... Okay, anyway...)

**Synophisis (summary whatever lol): **It's the year 2004, and the bustling city of New Compton is home toMadison Louise Corvis, who isn't like any ordinary girl. She's a vampire slayer, one girl chosen to protect the innocents of the world from vampires and demons. There isn't a challenge she won't take, or a foe she won't eventually defeat. However, when a certain vampire arises, intent on becoming a part of her life, she accepts help from a dark and mysterious stranger who claims to be just like her... Rated for violence and language.

The night sky was very dark and un-inviting to any person who walked alone under it. No stars were visible, and the half crescent moon was hidden behind a large sprawling grey cloud.

The streets of New Compton were slowly emptying, their occupants desperate to get home to the warm and welcoming arms of their family, or the heat of their large coal fires.

After a while, only one person could be seen making their way along the desolate streets. Her breath was clearly visible in front of her face, so she pulled the collar of her long black duster tightly around her shoulders with one hand. The other was keeping a firm grip on something concealed in her large pocket.

As she rounded a corner and began making her way along the cracked sidewalk, the grip on the object became vice like, so tight that it hurt her hand and turned her knuckles white.

She didn't care though. She knew that the thing in her pocket was there for her safety, and she wasn't about to let it go, no matter what.

Coming closer to her destination, she slowed her walking and tried not to make any noise. There was no point in trying as she was naturally stealthy, like a jungle cat approaching it's unsespecting pray.

Her long limbs tensed up as she sensed a presence beyond the large wrought iron gates she came to.

Acting immediately, she stood back and managed to leap over the tall gates with all the grace of a tiger. Landing softly on her feet, she pulled the object out of her pocket: a large wooden stake, and began running silently through the graveyard, careful to dodge the gravestones.

After coming into a large clearing which was home to a moseleum, she stood absolutely silent and still, listening intently for any noise. She didn't have to wait long as a scream pierced the silent and eerie air surrounding her.

Preparing her muscles for a fight, she bolted in the direction that the scream was coming from, pushing her legs to run as fast as they could.

She skidded to a halt under a large oak tree standing near the graveyard wall and narrowed her eyes at the sight that met her. A tall and muscular man dressed in a plain black suit was perched on top of a frightened looking young woman, whose struggling was no use against his strength.

He had her arms pinned to the ground and was lowering his head to her neck. From the distance, Madison could see that his eyes were yellow and blood red, and that his open mouth was home to two large fangs, now inches away from the woman's flesh. As she struggled, he hissed at her to shut up and stop moving. A calm suddenly came over the woman, and Madison could see the familiar look of defeat on her face.

It had just dawned on her that she was probably going to die, and that there was no point in struggling. The vampire once again leaned in towards her neck, and whispered something which Madison could hear.

"That's it. There's no point in struggling. It only hurts for a second, then you feel peaceful, you feel like your life is slowly ebbing away, like you're drifting away, slowly falling asleep..."

At this point, Madison walked forward a few steps and cleared her throat defiantly. With a growl, the vampire looked up at her, his eyes narrowing, clearly furious that he was being interrupted. Opening her mouth, Madison spoke loudly and clearly to the night sky.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Instead of getting up and attacking, the vampire simply sneered, his arms trying hard to contain the woman who was now sturggling again.

"Why not?" Madison looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Cause if you do, then I'm gonna have to kick your sorry ass to hell and back."

The vampire looked confused for a moment, then very quickly released the woman and leapt up onto his feet.

Before he charged at her, Madion had time to get into her fighting stance, pulling the stake back in her right hand. He came at her, his eyes taking on a shade of red, his fangs bared like a rabid dog.

As he was just a few feet away from her, Madison went into a spin, her right leg flying out and catching the vampire in the stomach. He went flying into the graveyard wall, and collapsed into a heap at the bottom.

Madison took the opportunity and ran at him, pulling her right arm back once again. Just as he was about to stand up, she plunged the stake deep into his chest with no effort, and pulled it out again moments later. The vampire raised his hands to the wound in shock, looking up at her with pleading eyes. She simply shrugged and muttered one word:

"Loser."

It was then that the vampire exploded into dust, the light wind of the night spreading it everywhere. Madison batted at the dust heading at her, trying desparately to keep it away from her eyes. When she was satisfied, she headed over to the woman, who was still lying on the ground, silent tears trickling down the side of her face. Madison crouched down beside her, wiping a stray tear away and smiling reassuringly.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice soft and gentle. The woman slowly nodded.

"Y-yeah, as okay as can be expected that is."

Madison chuckled slightly and extended her hand to the woman, who grabbed onto it with both of hers. She was very surprised as Madison managed to hoist her off the ground with little or no effort. Looking deep into her frosty blue eyes, the woman spoke again.

"What was that thing? It wasn't a v-vampire was it? It couldn't be, they don't exist, right?"

Madison looked thoughtfully at the woman for a moment. She didn't know if she had seen the fight or not. Deciding to play it by ear, she shrugged.

"I doubt it. You're right obviously when you say that vampires don't exist. Maybe he was some drunken guy, or rabies, he coulda had rabies. Whatever the case, he's gone now and you're safe."

Looking in all directions, the woman pulled her curly red hair behind her ear, almost expecting him to jump out of the shadows. She then brushed dirt of her long white flowery dress and wrapped her arms around herself. Her breath came out in slow and rapid gasps, and she began shivering violently. Madison immediately struggled out of her beloved black duster and wrapped it around the woman's shoulders, leaving her in a thin gray hooded top. Pulling the edges of the duster closer together, she looked the woman directly in her large hazel eyes.

"Look at me, lady look at me! You're alright now, nothing's gonna hurt you when I'm here. Just to be sure, I'm gonna take you home and make sure nothing else happens to you. Do you understand?"

After a few uncertain moments, the lady looked up at her (Madison was rather tall) and nodded. Taking that as a sign that she wasn't going to slip into shock, Madison placed a hand on her back and began leading her out of the graveyard. Along the way, she tried to make conversation, saying anything to get her mind off the gothic gravestones that surrounded them.

All her life, Madison had always hated graveyards. She hated the the eerie silence that surrounded them, the large iron gates and tall concrete walls encasing it, making it feel more like a prison rather than a final resting place, the overgrown grass and the withered flowers that always lay at the base of the gravestones.

Despite her responsibility, her job, her life; she could never stand graveyards. They were a constant reminder that her parents lay burried six feet under some hundreds, or even thousands of miles away.

She tried not to think about them, which proved impossible as they were always on her mind. Their booming laughter, their warm embrace, their large smiles and the familiar scent that always seemd to follow her around. A mixture of sandlewood and jasmine, mixed with a hint of strawberries and aftershave.

Madison remembered how safe she felt when she snuggled up in her dad's lap as a little girl, inhaling the scent off his clothes, giggling as she told him about her day. He called her his 'little button nose' as she had a small and child-like nose, and her mother called her 'my little princess'.

She had had long and silky golden hair while growing up. It was wavy and reached the bottom of her back. It was now cut to just above her shoulders. Her frosty blue eyes came off her mother, who she had always looked like.

Madison always believed that the only physical resemblence she bore to her father was her smile. She had a large and toothy smile that seemed to light up her whole face, just as he did. These days, she seldom smiled and instead opted for a mysterious closed mouth half-smile.

When she was a child, she had a pink complection that all the other mothers in the neighbourhood had been jealous of. These days, despite being only 17, her face was pale and gaunt, a few pink scars slowly fading into nothingness.

As well as this, she was also skinnier than she had been six or seven years ago. She used to carry around some remaining baby-fat, but now she had an athletic build, the result of years and years of hard core training. Madison began to reflect on her past after her parent's death when suddenly the voice of the woman shook her out of her reverie.

"Are you okay kid?" Madison's head snapped up and she smiled assuredly at her.

"Yeah sure, why?" The woman looked at her, pity fleeting over her face.

"You're crying."

Madison looked at her for a moment before raising her hands to her face. Surely enough, her face felt warm and moist. Feeling embarassed, Madison began wiping furiously at her eyes, wanting desparately for the woman to forget about it. She didn't.

"Are you sure you're okay kid? You've been quiet all this time, and then tears just started pouring down your face. Is something wrong?"

Madison quickly thought about what she should say. And it came to her.

"Nothing's wrong with me, I'm fine really. Just the coldness of the night making my eyes water. It happens all the time."

The woman looked her up and down, clearly not believing her, but deciding not to pursue the subject. They continued their trek out of the graveyard in silence, both wanting desparately to leave it behind.

In her haste to leave, Madison didn't notice the cold dark eyes watching her intently as she helped the woman climb over a wall. They stared at her from behind a distant bush, watching her every move, taking in every inch of her. When she had clambered over the wall, the eyes immediately dissapeared, finally leaving the graveyard empty.

**A/N: **There you go, my first chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. If you want more, then tell me. If not, then uh, tell me. But remember this simple formula before you leave your reviews folks: Good reviews, demmands for more, one very happy author... more story!

Then again, you should want more, coz I left it on a cliffy! Muhahahaa! Looks around in total silence. Uh yeah, just, you know, click on that little button, and you know the rest... Leaves computer looking sheepish.


	2. The Dream

**Disclaimer: **Bla bla bla... Don't own Van Helsing or Buffy, yadda yadda yadda, property of Stephen Sommers and Joss Wheadon etc etc etc. If you want to see all of what I said, see chapter one.

**A/N: Readers be forwarned, this chapter contains some violence and a rather graphic scene. I didn't know if I should've raised the rating for this chapter, but it seemed kinda pointless as not all of my chapters would be like this. I didn't know if this was R worthy material, so I thought I'd warn you now.**

As Madison gently lay her head on the pillow, she immediately fell into a deep slumber.

At first all she could see was darkness, like she was trapped in a pitch black and confined room. She began to panic after running around several times and finding no walls, light switches or any means of escape.

Collapsing onto her back, her breathing became rapid and she hugged her knees to her chest, mumbling incoherently to herself over and over again. She lifted her tear stained face up and began screaming into the nothingness, begging for help or a way out.

All she heard back were the echoes of her pleads for help. Suddenly, she felt as if she couldn't breath.

A dark shadow was curling it's way towards her, surrounding her, engulfing her. It danced around her in circles, becoming closer each time, and as it got closer, all she could feel was coldness. It pricked at her skin like a thousand tiny knives, causing goosebumps to raise up over her bare arms, and her breath to come out as mist.

She tried desparately to bat it away with her arms, but she found that her slayer powers were no match against something she couldn't touch.

The shadow began coiling itself around her neck, and she found herself unable to draw breath. Fighting furiously to draw in some air, she began chocking and collapsed onto her side.

As she writhed around on the cold concrete floor, the hold the mysterious shadow had on her became tighter. She felt her body become weaker and weaker by the second, and unconsciousness was slowly taking hold of her.

Wanting more than anything to live, she tried lifting her arms to her neck, only to have them collapse back onto the ground. As her eyelids drooped, and death began taking hold of her, the last thing she heard was a terrifying laughter.

An evil and hollow laughter, echoing all around the darkness surrounding her. With one last futile attempt to breath, a peaceful and eternal darkness took hold of her, never to let her go...

Madison sat bolt upright, sweat all over her body, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Looking around at the dimly lighted room she was in, a wave of relief washed over her.

She pulled the grand red silk sheets that surrounded her tightly around her shaking body. Warmth, it was amazing. She sighed in content and a smile began tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Sucking in the air around her like her life depended on it, she savoured the oxygen that flowed into her lungs.

Releasing the sheets, she ran her fingers through her disheveled hair and then wiped the sweat off her forehead using the back of her hand. Feeling more relaxed, she was just about to lie down and go back to sleep when something hit her. This wasn't her room.

She stared down at the luxurious red sheets that hung limp around her body and wondered why she didn't notice it before. Squinting her eyes into the partial darkness, she took in the large room.

It was very old fashioned and gothic, something you might of found in a castle. The walls were of stone, as well as the floor. Many rugs covered it up though, and she wasn't sure if they were Persian or not. All of the furniture was wooden, probably made of mahogany. There was a large set of drawers to the left side of the bed. On top lay an oil lamp, and several plain white candles.

On the far left wall, there was a large wardrobe, so large it took up nearly half of the wall space. The edges were adorned with intricately carved roses, painted black. In the corner of the room, next to the wardrobe, there was a large life sized mirror. It was rectangular shaped, and was painted a very dark brown. On top of the mirror, to Madison's horror, perched what appeared to be a rather frightening gargoyle.

It's mouth was open in an eternal roar, it's ears perched up, it's empty black eyes open wide, and it's dark hair was slicked back. Madison immediately looked away and concentrated on the right side of the room.

There stood a very grand fireplace, made out of different shades of gray stone. It was large enough for a person to stand inside it Madison observed with a shudder.

There was no fire going, only a few remaining logs of wood and dying embers. Above the fireplace, there was an oil portrait of a beautiful young woman.

Her long silky black hair reached to her waist, and she was clad in white and slightly unusual looking clothes. However unusual they were, they showed most of her ample cleavage and her toned midriff.

Her skin was pale, very very pale, like freshly fallen snow. She wasn't smiling, then again she wasn't frowning either. Her lucious red lips remained in a straight line, the corners of them curling upwards ever so slightly.

Madison looked into her eyes. She couldn't tell what colour they were, but that just added to the mystery of who this woman was. They seemed to sparkle, but at the same time they seemed empty and almost lifeless. After staring transfixed at them for a moment, Madison managed to tear her own eyes away from them and looked at the bed she was sitting on.

It was a king sized four poster bed, blood red curtains tied to the posts with golden rope. The many layers of sheets were the same blood red, as were the several large pillows.

Looking at it for a while, Madison shuddered. It felt like she was surrounded by blood.

Rolling onto her right side, she slid out of the bed, her bare feet touching the soft rug. After a moment of feeling slightly unsteady on her feet, Madison slowly headed towards the large wooden door.

Placing her hand on the brass doorhandle, she turned it and the door swung inwards. Stepping out into a long and empty corridor, Madison left the door open, in case she needed to come back to the room.

She looked both ways, and the corridor seemed to stretch on for miles. She noticed that many torches hung on the wall, as well as more oil portraits. There were also many more wooden doors, leading to where, she didn't know. Feeling utterly lost, she mumbled to herself.

"Damn, where the hell am I?"

Folding her arms across her chest, she slowly walked away from the doorway of the bedroom and headed left.

She looked at the various portraits she passed, and she noticed the mysterious woman in one or two of them. Two other attractive women popped up in several of them, one with curly red hair, the other with long strawberry blonde hair.

All three of them seemed to strike very sultry and hostile poses, ones that seemed to warn you to stay away from them, or else. Madison couldn't help it and began sniggering to herself. She had known many women like these ones, and all of them had been sorry for sticking their poorly made up noses into her life.

After ten minutes of walking down the corridor, Madison noticed with glee the large opening to a spiral staircase to her right. Not wanting to continue wandering around like a lost soul, she began climbing down them immediately, going as fast as she could.

Her bare feet became very cold with every step she took, but she didn't care. All she wanted to do was get out of there and find her way home.

After what seemed like an eternity, she reached the bottom. Madison looked at her surroundings in astonishment. She had entered a huge hall, very grand and slightly old fashioned. Golden mirrors adorned the walls, and reached up to the roof, which hung extremely high above her head. In the very centre of the ceiling, there hung a beautiful crystal chandalier. Madison craned her neck upwards and stared at the lights reflecting off many of the crystal droplets.

"Woah. I could really use one of those for my living room," she muttered aloud.

"Beautiful isn't it? Late 16th century, made with the finest and most rare of crystals. Made personally for me by blind, yet experienced Tebetian crafts persons."

Madison's heart leapt up into her throat and she spun around on the spot.

She noticed a tall and very handsome man standing across the room from her. He stood to about six feet, had long raven coloured hair that was tied back, and one or two stray strands hung over his face. His clothes were all black, and indicated that he was possibly of noble blood. A black cape also hung over his shoulders, reaching to just an inch above the floor, and it swayed with a rythm as he slowly approached her.

He had a beautiful face that was free from any signs of age. His eyes told a different story. They were a very dark and seductive blue. They were what was most noticable about him. Staring straight into Madison's frosty blue eyes, they took in every inch of her, they almost seemed to penetrate her with their gaze. They looked very young, yet seemed to tell a thousand tales of a wise old man. He now stood a mere inches away from her, and spoke with a heavy accent.

"You're beautiful," he whispered delecately to her.

Madison took a few deep breaths, and found that she couldn't speak. She opened her mouth several times, but all that came out were a few involuntary throaty noises.

It was his eyes. She felt weak under them, weak and vulnerable. At the same time, she felt drawn to him, she wanted him, she yearned for him.

He began slowly walking in circles around her, almost like a predator stalking his prey before the kill. Madison felt very uneasy. Not only was she not used to feeling so helpless, but it was also a reminder of the dream she had earlier. She began whimpering, and, almost as if he read her mind, the man stopped in front of her immediately, looking at her protectively.

There was complete silence between the two of them, and Madison suddenly broke it with a question she had been dying to the know the answer to since she woke up.

"What was my dream about? Why did I dream it? Such horrible and frightening things... Does it mean anything?"

She stared expectantly at the man, wanting him to answer it. It didn't occur to her that he wouldn't know, she just had a gut feeling deep down that he did. And sure enough, he answered.

"It was a reflection. A reflection of your life. Yours is one that is so empty and dark, so suffocating that it is affecting you in ways you cannot perceive consciously. It was a reflection of what your life is going to continue to be unless you change."

Madison stared up at him, her eyes wide with shock. She stammered for a few seconds before she could find the words.

"H-how do I, I change?"

He leaned in towards her, his face was now so close to hers that their noses almost touched.

"I am here to change it for you. I am here to make things in your life so much better, so clear, so unimaginably amazing. All you have to do is let me in..."

By now, his lips were hovering over hers, and he gently pressed them against her.

At first it was slow and gentle, but it began to heat up, it became more passionate. Her mouth opened and he slid his tongue in, and massaged it with hers.

She wrapped her arms under his, scratching at the back of his shoulders, begging for more. He began kissing her cheek, and moving slowly down until he reached her neck.

The kisses were frantic, but pleasurable. Madison moaned loudly in ecstasy, and continued to claw at his shoulders, begging desperataly for more.

The mysterious man suddenly pulled away, and slowly ran his forefinger along her neck, feeling the blood course underneath. He leaned back in and once again began passionately kissing it, letting his tongue slide out and licking it once or twice. He sucked at her tender flesh, craving for more.

Pulling his lips back to reveal large and pointed teeth, he bit hungrily into her flesh. Madison moaned loudly from both the pleasure and the pain. Blood began to flow into his mouth and he sucked greedily, savouring the warm liquid flowing into him.

Madison began to feel weak, and realized what was going on. She tried desprately to pull away from him, but couldn't as he had his arms wrapped tightly around her, preventing her escaping.

He bit down harder and continued to drink the blood flowing into him, he became wild and agressive, like an animal, sucking as hard as he could, always craving more.

Madison felt her hearbeat slowing, and she knew there was nothing she could do. After all this time as a slayer, she finally knew what it felt like to be the victim; she finally knew why most people give up their struggling, and allow the evil to take over.

As she felt like she was about to collapse, the man tore away from her neck, his lips stained with her blood. He slowly licked at it, and smiled at her. An evil and frightening smile that sent shivers up and down her spine.

Pulling his right arm from behind her back, Madison lay limp in his one arm, staring up at him, to weak to move or even open her mouth. He raised his wrist to his lips and tore at it with his teeth. It was then that Madison realized with utter horror what he meant when he said he was going to change her.

He was going to make her into a vampire.

Blood flowed off his wrist and he pressed it against her mouth.

"Drink," he commanded.

Madison turned her head away, determined not to let it happen. This caused him to tightly press his wrist to her mouth, so close that some of the blood trickled onto her lips. Tears began creeping down her face. He noticed this and kissed her forehead reassuringly.

"Drink, change your life before it's too late. Embrace the darkness of my world, and we can be together forever."

What he said made sense to her in a way. And there seemed to be no other option.

So, Madison slowly and shakily raised her hands and gripped his wrist. She began lapping at the blood trickling out of the wound, letting it glide down her throat. Her lapping became more frantic, and soon enough she was sucking at his blood as hungrily as he had hers. As she drank, only one thought passed through her head:

"Who I am doesn't matter anymore. I've crossed over completely to the dark side, I'm weak..."

Madison's eyes flew open and she nearly leapt out of bed in shock. Her body was coated in sweat, and her face was warm and moist with tears.

She stared around at her dark room and felt comforted at the familiar sights that greeted her eyes.

Throwing her blanket off her, she sprung out of bed and headed towards her dresser table. Fumbling around with the switch on a lamp, she eventually turned it on and stared directly into the large mirror.

She sighed in relief when she saw no wound on her neck, or no blood around her mouth. However, she looked very pale, and there were dark circles under her eyes.

Shaking her head, she turned away and walked towards her window. Staring out at the empty and silent streets of New Compton always made her feel better. She felt almost safe while staring at the large office buildings, the numerous stores and shopping malls. It made her feel momentarily normal. Thinking back to the dream, she realized that whatever was going on in her life was anything but normal. It was there and then that she promised something to herself.

She swore that she was going to find whoever was making her life hell, and make them pay.

**A/N: **There, I hope you enjoyed my second chapter. I hope you weren't put off the rest of my story because of the violence or whatever lol. Not a lot of my future chapters are going to be like this (I pwomise). So, yeah, feel free to review (whistles expectantly). Like I said before, I welcome constructive criticism, but pleeeease, no flames.


	3. Her agony

**Disclaimer: **Don't own anything, yeah yeah, property of Stephen Sommers and the almighty God Joss Wheadon. If you really want to see what I originally said, go to chapter one.

**A/N: **Oh my God my readers, I am SO sorry that it's been so long since I've updated my story. A LOT has been going on in my life preventing me from updating: College work, tests, assessments, assignments blah blah blah… My life personally, and my commitments to stories I'm writing for my friends. But a real writer never gives up on a story, so here's chapter three of mine. It's short and something to help us get to know Madison a little better. Enjoy.

For Madison, the day had gone by as if in slow motion. The people around her were blurs, and all she could think about was the dream she'd had the night before.

She couldn't concentrate on her job as a waitress in a posh restaurant, and it had gotten her a verbal warning from her conceited boss. It had taken all of her self - control not to hit him until he bled, as was the case with most of the other employees. She had left work with her head hanging and a frown upon her face.

Walking along the bustling streets, nobody noticed her walking past, which was just fine with her as she didn't feel like making friendly conversation with a stranger.

Trudging through the front door of her studio apartment, she threw her coat onto the floor and collapsed onto her dusty three - seater couch. Reaching over reluctantly to her answering machine, she pressed the play button. No messages. Nothing new there then.

Sighing deeply, she kicked her shoes off and spread out over the couch, feeling the sudden urge to have a quick nap. Momentarily forgetting the night before, she began slowly closing her eyes. A vision of the handsome stranger suddenly entered her head and her eyes snapped open.

Sitting up, she massaged the back of her head slowly, then sped up almost as if it would get rid of the memories of the horrific dream. Leaping off the couch, she began furiously pacing backwards and forwards across the floor, hands entwined behind her back. After a while, she decided she'd better stop before wearing a hole in her carpet.

Sitting perched on the edge of her couch, she extended a shaking arm towards her phone, thinking she should call her watcher and ask him about it. Picking up the receiver, she was about to dial the number when she panicked and slammed it back down. Running her hands through her hair in frustration, she had to wipe away a stray tear that began snaking it's way down her face.

She hadn't had any contact with her watcher in two years, despite everything he had done for her. After her parents were brutally murdered in front of her by a gang of vampires when she was ten, her watcher had taken her in and raised her.

For the first year living with him, he had treated her as nothing more than an object he had to train, but for the next four years, he saw her as much more than that. He saw her as the daughter he never had. As well as her training, he also schooled her within the confines of his large Victorian house. Teaching her everything from mathematics to ancient art, she enjoyed the experience immensely, learning more from him than anybody could of taught her.

Then, at age fifteen, Madison began to rebel. She began skipping her training, staying out late at night, getting into fights with civilians and drinking. Once or twice she forgot to patrol, often resulting in the death of somebody.

Staggering through the front door at two am one night, her watcher was standing there waiting for her, arms crossed defiantly across his chest, a packed bag lying at his feet. She stood by the open door, a look of confusion taking over. Before she could even open her mouth, her watcher began talking in a monotonous tone. What he said had sounded rehearsed.

"Madison, this simply cannot continue. The life you are currently leading not only endangers innocent people's lives, but also your own. As your watcher I have trained and prepared you for the past five years of your life, but as the only person who cares about you more than anything in his life, I have raised you as a daughter, preparing you for the prospect of living life on your own. However, in the past few months, it has become evident that you're either not ready for the responsibilities of being a fully - fledged slayer, or simply don't care. People have died because of you Madison, people that should be living their lives right now are dead because you wanted to go out with your friends and party. God help me Madison, I love you but you've left me no other choice."

He bent down and grabbed the handle of the bag, and slid it across the floor towards her. It stopped a few inches away from her feet, and it suddenly occurred to her that this was her black leather carry bag, the one that she often used for weapons. Looking down at it like it was a poisonous snake, she looked back up at her watcher, tears gliding down her face.

"What are you saying David?" she choked. He clenched his jaw shut, and she knew he was trying desperately to stop himself from crying.

"I'm asking you to leave Madison. I've tried, I really have, but I can no longer tolerate you're selfish and immature behaviour. I've packed most of your things, and I'm going to give you enough money to make a start for yourself elsewhere."

Madison was completely lost for words. He was kicking her out? But she was the slayer! He needed her, and she needed him! Staring at him in disbelief, it was almost as if he'd read her mind.

"I'm aware of your rather unique situation. I've contacted the watcher's council, and they too agree that what I'm doing is for the best. It will give you a chance to live an independent life, learning to depend on yourself instead of not having to worry who's going to pay the bills and put food on the table. You will in time learn that living your life of leisure is no option, and eventually return to your slayer responsibilities. When that time comes, I will be willing to welcome you back into my home, but until then…"

He couldn't continue as Madison cut him off. She was shaking with fury, and had to exercise all of her restraint in order not to beat him to a bloody pulp. Snatching her back off the floor and throwing it over her shoulder, she gave David a piece of her mind.

"You know what? Don't even bother with all of this 'Oh I'm so sorry, but' crap! We both know what you're trying to say, so just come out and say it you coward! I'm a failure, a waste of space, an embarrassment to you! You say you care about me?! That's bull! At the first sign of trouble, you decide to throw me away like a piece of garbage! You're scared, don't know what to do because all your life you've been used to telling people what to do, used to being in control. A pompous stuck up Brit that thinks he's God himself because he reluctantly took me in and raised me. The past five years of my life, you've seen me as nothing more than a burden on your tweed shoulders. And you have the audacity to say that you'll take me back when I'm no longer a problem? The easy way out. Well, you know what? Screw you. I don't need your help or your charity. I'm ten times more prepared for life than any other girl my age and I can cut it on my own."

He was completely taken aback. Staring at her open mouthed, he looked like he wanted to say something, but couldn't. His bottom lip began trembling like a child's.

"Madison…"

Once again, she cut him off.

"No, don't even try it David. You want me gone, I'm going. That's all there is to it. Don't dig an even deeper hole for yourself by trying to explain. You already have."

There was a long pause in which both parties simply stared at each other. Nothing was said, but they both had a feeling of finality. It was over, the bond they had built over the past five years had been shattered in one night.

Without another word, Madison spun around on the spot and marched down the gravel path leading from the front door without looking back. Leaping over the white picket fence, she headed into town, with every intention of going to the large bus stop.

Unbeknown to her, fifteen minutes after she had left, David had stood in the same spot, staring at her retreating back even when it wasn't there. Walking towards the front door like a zombie, he slowly closed it, hoping he might have caught a final glimpse of his slayer before she left. He never did.

That night, Madison had boarded the first bus that came to the stop, no idea where it headed, but she didn't care. She had used the last of her money to pay for the ticket, but told herself again and again that she wouldn't take David's offer. Settling into one of seats at the back, she gazed absent - mindedly out of the window, watching her past roll by her in a blur.

Seven hours later, she stepped off the bus into the streets of New Compton. As the door hissed and closed behind her, she felt that the last of her life was driving away with the bus. Looking around at the town, she licked her lips and nodded.

"I can make this work," she mumbled before trudging off into the night.

Thinking back to the painful memories had caused Madison great emotional strain. For the past two years she had avoided at all costs thinking about that night, but it was always there, in the very back of her mind just waiting to resurface. Seeing the pained look on David's face as she screamed at him was the worst. She had hated herself immensely afterwards, the horrible things she had said playing over and over again in her mind.

Curling up into a ball on her couch, she allowed the tears to flow, telling herself that it was okay. She eventually fell into a dreamless sleep, with one or two more stray tears spilling after she had fallen asleep.

Unknown to her, a mysterious figure stood outside her apartment complex, staring up at her window through narrowed eyes. After a few moments, he took a deep breath and nodded. Turning swiftly around, he marched off, all the while sticking to the shadows.

**A/N: **There! What'd you think of that? I apologise once again for the extreme lateness of the chapter, but, like I said, I've been rather busy hehe. I hope you didn't find it too boring, but, like I said at the beginning, I thought it'd be better if we saw a little bit of Madison's past before the story progressed. You know the drill now… please r&r!


	4. Dark and stormy nights

**Disclaimer: **Yawn, don't own anything, property of other people... want to see what I said? Cool, then go to chapter one! Oh yeah, better say that I don't own any songs written or performed by the best band ever, Bon Jovi, even if there just is quick fleeting mention of one.

**A/N: **Hey guys, thanks for the reviews, reviews make me so happy (sniffs). I apologize if the quality of my work wasn't very good in the last chapter; I was sitting in what was supposed to be a study room at college, only for people all around me to never be quiet... Oh well, the perilous life of a writer I guess. I have to say I'm also very thankful (and shocked) that you all waited so long for my next chapter as well, I'm touched. This chapter is going to be more action filled, and we'll see some very familiar people ;)

Oh, another thing... does anybody know if there's a difference between a cemetery and a graveyard? Thanks.

The un-inviting night sky offered no light to the weary travelers beneath it. Dark storm clouds rolled threateningly across the normally illuminated moon and stars, making it feel like somebody had switched off the light. While most people sat at home huddled together by the television, Madison paced slowly around the large graveyard, her black duster buttoned up to the very top. Underneath she wore a faded navy blue hooded sweater, and a pair of baggy jeans. She had also pulled on her leather fingerless gloves before leaving her apartment thinking they would warm her up. They didn't. As she coiled around a group of trees, she muttered every curse she could think of under her breath, not liking the fact that vampires didn't not go out because it was cold. Her breath came out as a thin mist, and goose bumps began to rise up over her arms. As she came to a familiar clearing, she thought she could hear the distant rumble of thunder. Looking up at the miserable sky, she prayed that it wouldn't rain. A moment later, the plain black dragon tattoo on her wrist began to itch. It was an indication that rain was indeed coming, whether she liked it or not.

"Ah, that's just great! Just the thing I wanted!" she yelled, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, she trudged over to the large concrete mausoleum steps and plopped herself down. She pulled a large stake from her pocket and began twirling it care free in her hands as she was beginning to get bored. Concentrating on twirling the stake, she only took an occasional glance at her surroundings, not really paying much attention, as all she could see were trees and grass. After five minutes of playing with it, she placed the stake down beside her and began humming the tune to 'Always' by Bon Jovi. She got lost in the rhythm and was soon in a world of her own, not hearing the rustle of leaves in front of her. A bush in front of her slowly began to part, revealing a tall and muscle bound vampire, his eyes glowing, and froth forming at the corner of his mouth at the prospect of his next meal. Madison appeared completely oblivious to the stranger as she sat with her eyes closed, drumming her hands on her knees. The vampire grinned with anticipation and began sneaking towards her, balling his hands into fists, sweat pouring down his forehead. Just before he could reach her, he made the mistake of stepping on a large twig, and in the complete silence around the graveyard, it sounded like the large crack of a gun. Madison's head snapped up and noticed the vampire in front of her. Grabbing the stake, she leapt off the step she had been sitting on and crashed into him. The impact was supposed to have knocked him down, but it only made him stagger to the side before regaining his balance. Grabbing Madison by the neck, he flung her with ease against a tree several feet behind him. She hit it with an oomph, the wind temporarily knocked out of her. Looking up at the advancing vampire, she realized that she had an advantage. He was strong, but he was also big so moved slower and with less grace. She was smaller than him, was quick and spry, so all she had to do was avoid his attacks and eventually get him into a position where she could stake him. Rolling quickly to her left, she leapt up just before the vampire's fist could connect with her face. He let out a roar and clumsily spun around to face her. Pulling his arm back, he tried hitting her in the stomach, only for her to duck out of the way and avoid it. Every punch he tried throwing at her after that missed, so he eventually became angrier and opted to try and get her off her feet instead. Just as he crouched down and kicked out his leg, she back flipped and landed a round - house kick directly to the side of his face. As he staggered back in shock for a moment, Madison dug into her pocket, only to realize that she had left her stake on the mausoleum step. Just as she made a run for it, the vampire's hand seemed to come out of nowhere and grabbed her leg. He pulled as hard as he could and she fell onto her chest, kicking out blindly with her free leg. Grabbing that one too, he pulled her closer until he was perched over her back. Roughly turning her around at the last minute, she lay on her back, looking up into his repulsive face. Struggling furiously underneath his bulk was no use as he had completely pinned down. His hands were wrapped tightly around her wrists, and the veins in his arm were bulging out grotesquely. Eyeing her with a look of contempt, he began talking, as was the tradition with most vampires before they went in for the kill.

"I can tell the world that I drank from a slayer who put up a pathetic fight. I'll be known as the slayer of slayers, vampires all over will bow down before me and whisper my name in fear..."

His rambling gave Madison time to think of an action plan. Jerking her head up, it connected with the vampire's nose with a sickening crack. Letting out a howl of pain, he pulled back and his hands rose immediately up to his bloody face. This gave Madison enough legroom to wriggle out slightly from underneath him. After eventually pulling her legs free from underneath him, she pulled them back and kicked him directly in the stomach. This caused him to fly back a few meters, which was all Madison needed. Quickly getting up, she ran at full speed towards the mausoleum steps and grabbed her stake. Pulling it back in her right arm, she shouted at the bewildered vampire writhing on the ground in pain.

"Monologuing is something you DO NOT do when fighting with a slayer you ugly house of horrors reject!"

Just as she was about to throw her arm forward, there was a rumbling above them and a merciless downpour of rain began to fall. Through the thick torrent of the rain, her vision of the vampire was blurred slightly, so she didn't notice him leaping up and charging towards her. It was only when he let out a battle cry when she hastily shoved the stake forward, not seeing what was going on. She felt the stake pushing through his chest and breathed a silent sigh of relief. Moments later, he crumpled to the ground as a pile of dust, the rain washing it all away. Shaking her already soaking wet hair out of her face, Madison rammed the stake back into her pocket and began running away from the mausoleum, head down, the collar of her coat upturned to try and keep her neck warm. She ran past the small gathering of trees and eventually began dodging the gravestones. Wanting desperately to get back home to the warmth of her apartment, she pushed her legs as hard as they could go, only for her to skid to an immediate halt near an open grave. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and she was shivering all over. It wasn't because of the rain; it was something else, something watching over her, something un-natural. She crossed her arms and looked all around her. Nothing. There was nothing around her but graves and withering flowers. Shaking her head, she took a step back only to bang into something. Her heart began pounding furiously in her chest, and she let out a small gasp. Turning around on the spot, she was staring into a pair of dark blue eyes. The same ones from her dream. Her breathing became rapid when the man in front of her smiled. It looked like an attempt at a warm and welcoming smile, but there was something behind it, something wicked...

"Hello Madison," he whispered. His voice was the same deep and thickly accented voice from her dream, and every syllable caused a pang of fear to rip through her chest. Never taking her eyes off his, she began to slowly step away. He extended an arm and gently took her hand.

"You have nothing to be afraid of and you know that." As he spoke, Madison felt inclined to get closer to him. No harm in it really, just a few steps...

"I've been looking forward to meeting you in person. You've haunted my dreams for so long now, I had to meet you." One more step, it can't hurt...

"I saw your fighting. Very impressive, you are smart and agile, just as I suspected a slayer to be." No no, not close enough, one more step, come on, just one more...

By now, Madison and the stranger stood a few mere inches apart, his hand still clasped in hers. He looked down at her in the same way a teenager would gaze lovingly at his girlfriend. Only, it wasn't like that entirely. He seemed to radiate love, passion and lust, but at the same time there was a distant look in his eye, like a father tenderly gazing down at his little girl as she played with her toys. This was what intrigued her the most, and she gazed up at him not knowing what to say or feel. It took her a few seconds to realise that the man standing in front of her appeared to be completely dry, almost like the rain had been bouncing off an invisible force - field around him. This roused her curiosity, so she asked him a question, one she had wanted to know the answer to for a while now.

"Who are you?" she whispered, her voice shaking slightly.

Taking his free hand, he slowly swept the hair off her face and placed it on her hip when he was finished.

"I'm sorry, my arrogance really does get the best of me sometimes, I just assumed you'd know. I am Count Vladislaus Dracula."

It took a second for the revelation to sink in for Madison. She was completely dumbfounded. Here, standing in front of her and holding her gently in his arms was the most famous and legendary vampire of all time. However, in a strange way, it didn't surprise her, it felt like she had been expecting him all of her life and he was finally there. All sense of her slayer responsibilities seemed to drop away from her as she looked up at him. The sound of the rain pounding down seemed to die away, and the world around them seemed to disappear until only they were left standing. Her bottom lip began trembling slightly as she opened her mouth to talk to him.

"Y-you're not going to, to kill me are you?"

Shaking his head, he pulled her closer and began whispering into her ear.

"No, of course not. I would never harm you. It is a change Madison, a wonderful and glorious change, it feels amazing, almost like being re-born. I'm going to give it to you Madison; I'll give you everything you've ever wanted. I'll give you the world itself, and we shall spend eternity together, and you shall finally be happy..."

His last words were barely audible as his voice was filled with lust, but she had caught most of it. She felt his arm moving from her hip around to the base of her back, therefore holding her up. He kissed her cheek and moved towards her neck, all the while smothering her skin with his soft lips. Madison moaned in content and obediently cocked her head to the side, knowing what was coming, but feeling powerless to stop it. As he pulled back and opened his mouth, sharp fangs began to grow out of nowhere, growing longer and longer. Just as he was about to move in, Madison could feel his middle section jerking forward and he let out a cry of pain. Pushing her away from him, she landed roughly on the wet grass. Looking up at him, she saw all of the feelings he had conveyed to her earlier immediately fall away as he gazed furiously at a shadow standing about fifteen meters away. Squinting her eyes through the sheet of rain and darkness, she couldn't make him out. However, he stepped forward and was illuminated under a bolt of lightning. Madison gasped in shock. He was wearing a long and worn black green leather coat that flowed out behind him in the wind. Underneath that, he wore a green ribbed turtleneck, black pants and black combat boots. A large black green hat sat atop of his head, casting his face in shadow. Despite that, she noticed the brown wavy hair that sat to just above his shoulders. Madison recognized this man; she had often come across him in her history lessons with David. Not quite believing her luck, she breathed his name, her voice still shaking.

"Van Helsing?"

**A/N: **Hah! There see? I told you there'd be more in this chapter! Ending on cliffies rock don't they? Leaves you readers gagging for more!!! Muhahahahaaaaaaa.... So um yeah, you know what to do. Click on the button and review (hey, that kinda rhymes! Cool!)


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